


Stained Glass Smiles

by RogueLioness



Series: A Whole New World Outtakes [10]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Establishing background, Gen, Pre-Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25682605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogueLioness/pseuds/RogueLioness
Summary: A snippet of Samarra’s life on Earth.
Series: A Whole New World Outtakes [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862224
Kudos: 2





	Stained Glass Smiles

“It’s good to see you,” Samarra smiled politely as she leaned in for the customary peck from her mother. 

“How have you been, mom?”

Delia waved dismissively. “Oh, just fine. I went to see Dr. Hubert for my touch up the other day.”

Samarra sighed. Her mother did so love her botox injections. Delia Bayart was a vain woman, and always had been; her hair was always impeccably dyed icy blond and there was not an ounce of excess fat on her body. She liked to joke that she was Samarra’s younger sister, but for all the botox and the regular facials the woman got, there was nothing Delia could do about the hardness in her eyes. “Procedure went well, I suppose?”

“Oh yes, just fine. Although I asked him about some fillers. I’m not very happy about these lines; they age me terribly.”

Samarra only just managed to refrain from rolling her eyes. “Yeah?”

“Oh yes,” Delia gently, but firmly, guided Samarra into the pristine living space. She’d always hated it; it was almost sterile in how it looked, decorated in all white as it was. She swallowed the momentary distaste that always bubbled up every time she visited home.

 _No, not home_ , she corrected herself. It was, and had always been, her parents’ home. It was something to show off; from the manicured lawns and the landscaped gardens to the statues and paintings hanging on the walls, everything that her parents owned was a status symbol.

Just as she’d been. And she’d have remained that way too, if James hadn’t broken her out of it.

“How’s Lillian?” she asked as she seated herself on the white leather couch, carefully tucking her dress, her legs crossed at the ankles. 

Delia sighed. “I don’t know what she sees in that dreadful man,” she began her long rant against her younger sister’s latest beau, though Samarra actually shared her mother’s distaste for Mark Vutton - the man was nothing more than a gold digger, and it was a shame Lillian couldn’t see past his charming exterior.

 _Then again_ , she thought wryly, _Lillian’s never been the discerning sort._

The housekeeper arrived on cue, bearing a mimosa on a silver platter so highly polished Samarra could see the chandelier’s reflection on it. She took it gratefully, taking a sip to calm her nerves. “Where’s dad?” she asked.

“Out for his Sunday game of tennis with Roger Wilson,” Delia remarked breezily. “You do remember Mr. Wilson, don’t you dear?”

“He owns the Keyes Corp., right?”

“The same.” Delia leaned in and whispered conspiratorally, “Did you know he’s going to be retiring next month?”

“Really?” Samarra took another sip. “Does he have any plans for after?”

“Oh, who knows. I could care less. His son’s taking over the company. You know Nicholas, don’t you? The two of you went to college together.”

 _Hardly together,_ Samarra almost retorted. Nicholas Wilson had the dubious honor of being the worst spoiled brat she’d ever seen. He’d always treated her as some kind of prize to be won, and she hated every inch of his leering face. She took a large gulp of the orange-flavored drink to control her tongue, aware her mother was watching her closely. “I know Nicholas, yes,” she said calmly. “Although we ran in different social circles.”

Her mother made a moue of distate. “I can’t understand why you refused to join Nicholas and his friends. They were so much more… to _our_ taste than the people you insisted on spending your time with.”

Samarra resisted the urge to lash out. _Losing your temper will get you nowhere,_ she reminded herself. “Is he still going out with Hailey?”

“No!” Delia’s excitement was almost palatable. “They broke up two weeks ago.”

“Wait, I thought their wedding was in four months?” she asked, confused.

“Yes, but it turned out Hailey was… giving her affections elsewhere, as it was,” her mother said delicately, and Samarra nearly snorted. Hailey Drummond was hardly a saint, but neither was Nicholas. Which was why she’d thought they were perfectly suited for each other. 

She was lost in that thought and missed what her mother said. “Sorry, could you repeat that?” she asked.

Her mother huffed impatiently. “I said, I gave Nicholas your number. He’ll call you on Tuesday. I do hope you say yes to his invitation.”

“Mom!” she was aghast. “I told you I don’t want you setting me up with anyone!”

Her mother rolled her eyes. “Nicholas is hardly _anyone_ , my dear. He’s one of New York’s most eligible bachelors! And we get along so well with his family - you know that Roger is your father’s best friend. It’s a great connection.”

“Mom,” she replied, her temper rising, “Nicholas is a lecherous creep. Do you know how many times he groped me in college?”

“Come now, Samarra,” her mother was dismissive, “that was years ago. I’m sure he’s grown into a stellar young man now. And you must agree, his prospects are much better than that man you were seeing.” Delia’s voice held a hint of distaste.

Samarra slowly and carefully set down the crystal glass, and rose from the chair in one fluid motion. “ _That man I was seeing_ was my _fiance,_ and he had a name. His name was James, and he was a far better man than Nicholas could ever hope to be. Tell Nicholas not to bother calling me, mother, I’m not interested.” She turned around and walked away. She stopped at the door, and called out. “Tell dad I said hi.” She opened the door, and stepped out, breathing in deeply, and letting the sunshine wash over her.


End file.
